PETALING JAYA: The option given by the Prime Minister for ministers to quit if they are uneasy with his plan for the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue is “very fair,” says a senior Cabinet minister.
Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz agreed with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s statement that ministers who were uncomfortable with the whole situation can send in their resignation letters.
“Najib said that he would understand. It wasn’t a threat. It was said in a by the way manner. It wasn’t an ultimatum.
“He spoke in general about 1MDB and how the situation can be corrected ... and by the way, if anyone is not comfortable, they can hand in their letters and he would understand,” Nazri said when contacted yesterday.
Nazri, who is Padang Rengas MP, said Najib’s statement was well-received by the ministers present and everybody was in a “happy mood”.
“I think the Prime Minister wanted everybody to feel comfortable with the situation.
“Nobody is forced to accept something they are not comfortable with.
“This is the Cabinet. We have always practised collective responsibility,” he said, adding that Najib did not set a deadline for ministers to hand in resignation letters should they choose to do so.
Nazri said the Cabinet meeting was almost full in attendance, with only three or four ministers absent.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein tweeted a picture alleging that Cabinet members “looked down at their shoes” and remained silent when Najib made the remark.
In the tweet, Hishamuddin said “agree with conditions” in support of the Minister and listed three of his conditions.
“1) Rationalisation of 1MDB (and) 2) Governance & Accountability 3) Transparency 4 both,” he wrote in his tweet.
On Sunday, Utusan Malaysia had reported that Najib had asked Cabinet ministers, who did not support his stand on the 1MDB issue, to resign.
It was reported that almost the entire Cabinet was present during that meeting except for a few like Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is in Australia, Agriculture and Agro- Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob who is in China and Health Minister Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam who is in Stockholm.
It is learnt that Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman also was not present at that meeting.
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